The Republic's Extra-Vehicular Activity troopers are Marines trained for EVA operations, such as boarding action against a ship with a hull breach. Their armor also grants them a variety of other combat abilities, including a wrist-mounted energy blade that can be activated for close-quarters battle. One additional advantage of EVA armor is that it is equipped with a light shield generator. In the depths of space, where an orbiting chip of paint can easily blow a hole in a soldier's armor, this shield is invaluable. Naturally, though, this grants the EVA trooper considerable damage resistance.